Moore, state sheriffs send Biden letter

They emphasize stance on debate over gun control

STOCKTON - San Joaquin County Sheriff Steve Moore and other members of the California State Sheriff's Association sent a letter to Vice President Joe Biden on Friday articulating their views on the national debate over gun control.

STOCKTON - San Joaquin County Sheriff Steve Moore and other members of the California State Sheriff's Association sent a letter to Vice President Joe Biden on Friday articulating their views on the national debate over gun control.

Signed by Nevada County Sheriff Keith Royal, the letter reminded Biden that Americans have a right to bear arms while urging the vice president to focus his efforts on inadequate mental health and criminal background check systems.

"As the chief law enforcement officers in our respective counties, it is our duty to protect the members of our communities and preserve individual rights and freedoms," Royal wrote in the letter. "It is the position of the CSSA, in accordance with the Constitution of the United States and the statutes of the State of California, that law-abiding persons who meet the established requirements have the right to acquire, own, possess, use, keep and bear firearms. This right shall not be infringed."

President Barack Obama appointed Biden to lead a gun control task force after 20 children and six adults were shot to death Dec. 14 at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. The task force has proposed more stringent background checks as well as bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

Moore, who sits on the CSSA's board of directors, "is in full support" of the letter sent to Biden, said Deputy Les Garcia, a spokesman for the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office. The letter noted that California is plagued by gun violence despite some of the strictest gun laws in the nation. It also addressed mental health systems that "do not adequately serve the mentally ill or society."

The letter said "we must continue to take steps to keep guns out of the hands of criminals." The CSSA recommended that resources be made available to strengthen mental health systems and the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. The letter also touched on the need for more peace officers in schools and communities.

"If we are to avoid future tragedies and more fully protect the public, mental health issues in the context of gun ownership must be central to the national discussion," the letter said. "Too often, we have seen shooting incidents that involve seriously mentally ill people, many of whom are untreated or undertreated. ... We recognize there are no easy answers to the problem of gun violence, but all of us need to seek solutions that will produce a safer country for all Americans."